Size of Army force to be reduced 14% by 2018, top general says

Wednesday

Jun 26, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 26, 2013 at 10:37 AM

WASHINGTON - The Army said yesterday that it would eliminate 10 brigade combat teams at bases across the United States and cancel about $400 million in construction projects as it cuts about 80,000 soldiers over the next four years.

WASHINGTON — The Army said yesterday that it would eliminate 10 brigade combat teams at bases across the United States and cancel about $400 million in construction projects as it cuts about 80,000 soldiers over the next four years.

Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, said the move is part of the largest organizational change in the Army since World War II as the service winds down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and responds to tighter U.S. budgets.

The Pentagon announced plans to cut the Army’s overall force structure last year, and Odierno yesterday detailed where and how the service would reorganize as it draws down from a wartime high of 570,000 soldiers in 45 brigade combat teams to 490,000 in 33 brigade combat teams by the end of 2017. The reduction represents about a 14 percent drop in force size.

Odierno said the force eventually would drop to 32 brigades, but a decision has not been made on the final unit to be cut. He said as the 13 brigades are inactivated, some of the forces would be transferred to other brigades to make them “more lethal, more flexible and more agile.”

While headquarters units would be eliminated, battalions of infantry, Stryker combat vehicles and armor would be shifted to other brigades along with engineering and artillery units, Odierno said.

The cuts mainly affect the active-duty force. The Army Reserve will remain at 205,000 soldiers, and the state-based National Guard militia will lose 8,000 soldiers, dropping to 350,000 from 358,000.

Ten brigades would be inactivated in the United States and two in Europe. The two European brigades — both in Germany — already had been announced, one at Baumholder and the other at Grafenwohr.

Brigades would be inactivated at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, Fort Carson in Colorado, Fort Riley in Kansas, Fort Bliss and Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Polk in Louisiana, Fort Stewart in Georgia, Fort Campbell and Fort Knox in Kentucky, Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York.

The reorganization of the brigades in the United States and Europe will lead to a reduction of 29,000 soldiers, Army officials said.